Many pieces of equipment have surfaces that need to be protected during the various stages of manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation. Often, surfaces need to be maintained at specific tolerances and kept free of dirt and grit, as well as being protected from damage.
An exemplary apparatus to which such requirements apply is an equipment flange, and more specifically a raised face surface on a flange. In order to explain the present invention with clarity, embodiments will be discussed with respect to a raised face flange. However, the present invention is equally applicable to other surfaces in need of similar protection. Any machined surface requiring protection from debris, contamination, mechanical impact, or other undesirable occurrences can make use of the present invention.
Raised face flanges are machined surfaces which are used commonly in the industry to mate pieces of equipment. Often, such flanges, and other surfaces requiring protection, need to maintain tight tolerances in order to provide a sealing surface. Exemplary pieces of equipment include, but are not limited to: pipe segments, pumps, compressors, engines, heat exchangers, and the like.
Equipment can undergo various steps during manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation. For example, after a raised face of a flange is manufactured and machined, it is often desirable to abrasively blast and paint the non-machined surfaces. It is desirable, therefore to protect the machined surfaces during treatment, or other manipulation of the non-machined surfaces.
Often the raised faces of the flange need to be maintained at critical tolerances and kept free of dirt and grit to maintain an effective sealing surface when mated with other pieces of equipment.
Furthermore, when flanges are components of large and often expensive pieces of equipment, it is desirable to seal the flange to prevent incursion of debris into the equipment during manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation. Also, the equipment may in turn become a component of a larger, also expensive, system. It is desirable to prevent debris and contaminants for entering the equipment which can cause damage, or otherwise affect the performance of the equipment or attached systems.
It is also desirable to protect raised faces of flanges and internal components of equipment from corrosion during manufacture, fabrication, transport, and storage. Often, a corrosion inhibitor is inserted into equipment and it is desirable for the flange to be sealed.
In addition, it is desirable to protect flanges and equipment from mechanical impacts during manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation.
Whether from airborne debris during transport, tools inadvertently striking the equipment, or impacts during loading or unloading of the equipment, and the like, various mechanical impacts are possible to the machined surfaces which may render the surface unsuitable for its intended purpose.
Presently used methods are inefficient, or add needless cost to equipment during the various stages of manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation. Present methods add significant weight to the equipment, thereby increasing transportation costs. Also, present methods result in significant waste of materials.
A need exists, therefore for an efficient and durable method to protect machined surfaces of equipment to withstand various activities and stresses during manufacture, fabrication, transport, storage, and installation.
A further need exists for a durable and versatile system able to protect machined surfaces of various sizes.
The present invention meets the above needs.
The present invention is detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.